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Chapter 32
Wi Jihak stayed at Cheonwolru for a few more days.
To be precise, he wanted to depart immediately, but going to Hangzhou—where the Eunrok Trading Company’s headquarters were located—required preparations on our side, so he was effectively stuck.
Wi Jihak insisted that he would cover all the preparations and expenses himself and urged us to leave as soon as possible.
[You’re not refusing that.]
[Mountain Lord, travel costs are considerable. Besides, the more you save, the better, right?]
That fox—acting just like a human. Thinking that, I looked around.
In any case, as much of a fuss as Wi Jihak was making, the preparations were progressing quickly. As proof, Cheonwolru looked busier than usual.
Laborers loading various goods onto the carriages, horses quietly tied to them while being groomed, and Wi Jihak himself, looking oddly restless. There was plenty to see.
“Shall we depart?”
When the fox approached holding me, Wi Jihak’s expression shifted to utter bewilderment.
It was only natural. The fox had removed his mask and changed his appearance to a form different from his usual one.
“What? Who are you? Where is the Lord of Cheonwolru? Where is the master who has reverted to youth?”
“My name is Cheon Jiho (千知狐). Call me Jiho. This child and I will be accompanying you.”
At that, anger rose on Wi Jihak’s face. But the fox spoke faster.
“He will be traveling separately. He is not someone with the leisure to accompany you.”
“…What? Do you think I made all these preparations just to take the likes of you along? And this is a matter of utmost urgency—are you telling me to take a child as well?!”
Wi Jihak’s anger was justified—at least from his perspective.
“Haha!”
The fox burst out laughing. Seeing him laugh so out of place made Wi Jihak hesitate.
“Master of the Trading Company. Do you believe you have a choice?”
“…!”
“For you, it’s a matter of your only son’s life. For us, it isn’t quite so desperate.”
The fox tilted his head slightly as he smiled. But his eyes did not smile.
“More importantly, the reason the Lord sent me is because this is a task I can handle well enough on my own.”
“How can I trust that?”
“I believe I already told you—you have no choice. Well, if you’re truly uneasy, feel free to take revenge on Cheonwolru or the Hao Sect later by any means necessary. I wouldn’t recommend it, though.”
Wi Jihak didn’t turn his head, as if refusing to yield, but I could feel his momentum falter.
“And if speed is the issue, shouldn’t we be departing all the sooner?”
“Then just leave the child behind!”
“Those were his instructions. He said to bring the child along and let her see the world while we’re at it. She won’t interfere with the work.”
Of course I wouldn’t interfere. I’m the very master who reverted to youth.
Sitting nearby, I put one of the candied fruits the fox had given me into my mouth and chewed. The fox patted my head fondly. Fine—I’ll allow it, since others are watching.
“Is it tasty?”
“Yeah.”
“Just wait a little longer. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Wi Jihak was about to flare up again, but the fox added a single line while fixing him with a cold gaze.
“If it truly displeases you, you may consider this whole matter as never having happened.”
The fox’s words were effective. The man immediately tucked his tail between his legs and fled the scene.
‘It’s understandable that he’s sensitive and irrational when his own child’s life is on the line.’
Still, he looked rather ugly—perhaps that was unavoidable. Seen another way, though, it was quite effective social maneuvering.
Sometimes, discarding pride and catering to others worked best.
I tilted my head as I licked the sticky candy and crumbs off my fingers.
“Here, wipe your hands.”
“Thanks.”
The fox handed me a damp handkerchief, and I quickly wiped my hands.
“Then we’ll depart.”
“Let’s go. Come on, get in my arms.”
“Okay.”
I reached out instinctively and was gathered into the fox’s arms, then thought to myself:
Perhaps returning to the past wasn’t solely for the sake of revenge.
Contrary to the fox’s expectations, the journey was remarkably peaceful.
We alternated between carriages and river routes, and throughout the trip we didn’t encounter bandits or pirates.
It was my first time riding a boat floating on water. Unlike some humans who suffered from seasickness, I actually found the rocking floor amusing.
Thanks to that, I also had time to absorb the remaining energy of the Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu that I hadn’t fully processed before. I’d absorbed about half now; given enough time, absorbing the rest should be easy.
‘At this rate, I’ll be able to maintain an adult human form without the fox’s help.’
[Ugh, Mountain Lord… I feel dizzy.]
[Want to fly for a bit?]
[I’m a mountain bird, not a sea bird!]
[It’s better than being dizzy. Use the boat as a landmark and go get some air.]
Instead of answering, Jimjo nodded and began flying alongside the boat. Judging by how unsteady it looked, the seasickness must have been pretty bad.
‘I should get it some good-quality poisonous herbs later.’
Watching Jimjo with concern, I sensed the gazes of nearby humans and deliberately wandered around the deck, pretending to be innocently curious.
It felt strange to say this myself, but throughout the journey I didn’t throw tantrums or complain about being tired. We rarely even crossed paths—I was too busy absorbing energy to mingle with humans.
Unaware of that, people often remarked how admirable I was for my age, or how they wished they could raise a daughter like me.
‘By age alone, all the humans here put together still don’t match mine.’
Well, what could be done? Humans were weak to appearances.
In the end, we arrived in Hangzhou in just two weeks—shorter than even the fox had anticipated.
“Wow…”
I looked around in mild awe at the sight of Hangzhou, with its great river.
The faint, salty scent of the sea brushing my nose was striking.
“I’ll guide you.”
Upon arriving, Wi Jihak led us on, unable to hide the anxiety on his face.
Our destination was a fairly large estate. The scent of medicinal herbs drifting even from a distance was impressive.
‘Dried herbs, freshly picked herbs still holding moisture, musk…’
And the stench of old blood.
When the smell—half expected, half not—reached me, I bared my teeth.
‘I thought he was merely a human who had lost his reason with his child’s life in danger… but there’s the scent of the Blood Sect mixed in?’
I didn’t know whether there were agents of the Blood Sect here, or if pills like before were involved.
What was certain was that this place, bearing the last traces of the White Deer, was tainted with the filthy stench of the Blood Sect.
That displeased me deeply—so much so that maintaining my expression took effort.
Suppressing my irritation, I followed the overpoweringly strong scent of medicinal herbs. Soon, the fox and I were led to a lavishly decorated detached residence.
“You… then that person is—”
“I’ve sent word via messenger pigeon. You should be able to meet him soon. Naturally, he will enter the estate in secret. He does not wish to reveal his movements.”
“…I see. But truly, that master who reverted to youth—”
“Wasn’t this already decided?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Seeing Wi Jihak grow even more uneasy, the fox smiled.
[Humans… They decide, yet still waver and hesitate, unable to trust easily. It’s amusing—and irritating. Especially when their children are involved, their judgment dulls.]
[That’s only natural when one’s own child is at stake.]
[At least constantly going back on one’s word like that is a nuisance.]
“I will guarantee it. That he will not do anything you’re worried about, Master of the Eunrok Trading Company.”
“…Are you certain?”
“If anything of the sort happens, I will compensate you. If you wish, you may even draw up documents and keep them.”
“Then let’s do that.”
As I watched Wi Jihak take out paper, brush, inkstone, and ink and begin writing, I leaned out the window.
‘Still, it’s strange.’
Why, amid this overwhelming scent of medicinal herbs, was there the smell of rotten blood?
It was a situation both welcome and unwelcome.
Finding traces was fortunate, but the traces of those bastards stirred my disgust.
‘They said the Eunrok Trading Company mainly deals in medicinal herbs. Then did they reach out in order to acquire herbs?’
…No matter the reason, it seemed this wouldn’t end with simply retrieving the White Deer’s inner core.
